Roller-feed mechanism.



No. 817,151. PATENTLD APR.10, 1906. W. M. ALLEN. ROLLER FEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 2. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED APR. l0, 1906.

W. M. ALLEN.

ROLLER FEED MBGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.2. 1905.

'narran sns rnfrnnr onrron.

WALTER M. ALLEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE VARNER & SWASEYCOMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ROLLER-FEED IVIECHANISIVI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented April 1o, 1906.

To all wil/ont llt rita/zj concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER M. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Feed Mechanisms,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stock feeding mechanism of the class adaptedfor use on the hollow spindles of lathes, screw machines, and similarmetal-working tools.

The object of the invention is to provide a stock feeding mechanism ofthat class in which the stock may be fed by a pair of rolls mounted andconnected for adjustment to provide for feeding various sizes of stockand for intermittent operation in an effective and convenient manner foradvancing the stock from time to time as required during the operationof the machine.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stock-feeding mechanism made inaccordance with my present improvements, some portions being shownbroken away for more clearly illustrating the construction andarrangement of certain parts of the mechanism.` Fig. 2 is in the natureof a sectional plan view taken in about the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 lookingupwardly. Fig. 3 is a view of the left-hand portion of Figs. 1 and 2,but where broken away in longitudinal section the section -lines are ondifferent planes from that seen in either Fig. 1 or Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is anend view of the device looking at it rfrom the left-hand end and is inthe section where broken away inthe line 4 4 of Fig. Fig. 5 is across-section in the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side view of thelefthand end of Fig. 1 as viewed from a different angular position; andFig. 7 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 5, but showing aslightlymodified arrangement of certain details and shows a smallerstock-rod engaged by the rolls and is taken in about the line 7 7 ofFig. 1.

Tn this mechanism one of the leading features is the combination of twoappliances, one especially adapted for centering and supporting theweight of the stock or bar which 1s being operated upon and the otheradapted and operative for actuating the bar to feed the same forward,these two mechanisms being so assembled together and connected that inadjusting the chuck or bar centering and supporting device to set thesame for use with a given vsize of bar the bar-feed mechanism is at thesame time, by means of the connections between the two devices orappliances, approximately set for bringing the feed-rolls to acorresponding position. This is especially indicated in Fig. 5, whichshows a preferred mode of arranging the connections for effecting theconcurrent adjustment here referred to. This adjustment, however, asregards the feed-rolls is closely approximate, but not exact, and, asindicated in Fig. 5, means are provided for permitting the feed-rolls tohave a spring-actuated stroke of relatively small amount for producingthe desired spring-pressure of the roll against the bar.

The supporting portion of the machineframe may for convenience bedesignated in a general way by 11 and the hollow shaft by 12, Suchhollow shaft is shown mounted in a bushing 13 and carrying the frame orhead 14. may be secured to the hollow shaft 12 by some suitable means,here shown as setscrews 16. A sleeve 17 is mounted upon the hub of frame14 and has a pair of pins 18 for affording means of engagement for anactuator and having a key 18/ engaging a keyway in sleeve 17 forpreventing its rotation. The actuator is here shown as a bell-cranklever 19, having forked ends engaging the pins 18u The stock (designatedin a general way by 25) will be centered by means of a number of slides26, four of which are illustrated in the present instance. The slidesare adapted to move radially toward and from the center of the head, andthereby center the stock, their movement being controlled so that theyact in unison. The slides are mounted in ways in a member 27 and areheld in such .ways by means of aremovable plate 28. Each slide has aslanting slot 29 across it, and in each of which slots a pin 30 enters,which pins are carried by a plate adapted to be rotated. This plate inthe present instance is designated by the reference character 31 and hasgear-teeth 32 upon its perimeter. The wheel may be a worm-wheel and beengaged by a worm 33 for shifting it and moving the centering devicestoward and from the stock. The worm shown is carried by a shaft 341,mounted in a recess 35 and having a squared The hub portion 15 of thesaid frame head 36 for the engagement of a key or wrench. The shaft mayhave an enlarged portion 37 engaged by the end of a screwbushing 38, sothat it may be properly bottomed in the channel. Friction may be appliedto such portion of the shaft to prevent its independent movement bymeans of a spring 40, adjustable of tension by means of a set-screw 11.By turning the shaft 34, and thereby the worm 33, the worm-wheel will berotated and will move the members 26 in unison toward and from theircenter, whereby the stock may be brought to center and held at suchcentered position. The head or framework portion will rotate with theshaft 12, and the centering instrumentalities will be rotated and causethe stock to rotate by the usual chuck at the point of spindle. (Notshown.) The stock at the same time that it is being rotated must be fedforward, and for which object there are shown a pair of feedrolls 50,each of which is fast upon a shaft or spindle 51, which spindles arecarried by sleeves 52, mounted, respectively, by means of a sleeve 53,upon a sleeve 54, mounted in the framework portion of the head, andwhich latter sleeve surrounds a shaft 55. In Fig. 7 the sleeve 54 isomitted and the sleeve portion 53 mounted directly upon the shaft 55.The shaft 55 has a gear-wheel 56 meshing with a gear-wheel 57 upon theshaft 51. The shaft 55 is driven by means of a worm-wheel 58, engaged bya worm 59 upon a shaft 60, having fast upon it a pinion 61, adapted tomesh with gear-teeth 62, cut upon the sleeve 17, and when such sleeve ismoved into engagement with the pinions 61 by means of the actuator 19 orother convenient means, owing to the fact that the gear 62 and sleeve 17remain stationary while the head is rotating and the pinions 61 arerevolving, the worms 59 will become active and cause the feed-rolls torotate, thereby advancing the stock which is gripped between them. Therolls, however, to properly perform their function and to be adjustabletoward and from the stock with the adjustment of the centering devices26, are fast to such centering devices in suitable manner about to bedescribed. It will be seen more particularly by referring to Fig. 2 thatthe sleeve portion 52 has ball-joint surfaces 65, which are embraced byamember 66, having a socket to receive one of the pins 30. This gives aconnection which within the requirements of the present structure is auniversal joint or connection. There are in the present instance shownfour of the centering-slides 26 and two feed-rolls, so that each rollwill be controlled by one of the pins for the centering devices.

Although the rolls are adjustable with the centering devices, yet it isdesirable, owing to variations in the thickness of the stock and forother reasons, to have the rolls elastically pressed toward andagainstthe stock, and

the present improvement provides means for supplying such elasticpressure at an almost constant tension. The pins 30, which are tocontrol the rolls, enter openings in the members 66, and such membersare continued in a sleeve-like structure or socket in which a spring 71is mounted, and a friction-shoe 72 having direct engagement with the pinand having a guide portion 73 to enter the interior of the convolutionsof the spring, the springs tension may be adjusted by means of aset-screw 74. lt will thus be seen that each roller carries itstensioning device and that the tension remains substantially constant.The plate 31 holds the rolls in their general working position, and thespring elastically holds it in its specific working position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with arotary head, of a pair of feed rolls each having a shaft, means forcarrying said shaft comprising a bearing therefor and a sleeve, a shaftupon which the sleeve is mounted, and gearing between the roll-shaftsand said latter shaft for rotating the rolls.

2. The combination with a frame having bearings, of a sleeve mounted insuch bearings, a shaft in said sleeve, means for rotating said shaft, afeed-roll, a shaft on which the same is fast, a sleeve supporting saidshaft and having a sleeve fast therewith and mounted upon said formersleeve, a train of gear between said shafts, and means for pressing saidfeed-roll to its work.

3. The combination with a rotary head of a shaft fast therewith forrotating the same, a feed-roll for feeding stock through said head, atrain of gear embodying a pinion and connected with said roll, saidpinion being revolublewith said head, an axially-shiftable gear-wheelheld from rotation, and means for holding said gear-wheel from rotationand for axially shifting the same into and out of mesh with said pinionfor intermittently rotating said pinion and said feed-roll.

4. The combination with a rotatable member having a plurality of radialslideways, of a series of work-centering slides located therein, each ofsaid slides having a diagonal channel across it, a rotatable platemounted upon said member and having pins engaging said channels, andmeans for rotating the plate for adjusting the slides. i

5. In a roller-feed, the combination with a frame pivoted on an axisdisposed transversely to the line of feed movement, a roller carried bythe frame, a yoke having a universal connection with the frame, aspringeplunger carried by the yoke, and a pin for moving the frame andin engagement with the plunger.

c 6. ln a roller-feed, the combination with a head, of a driving-shaftmounted therein, a frame embodying a pair of parallel sleeves,

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one of these being mounted on the drivingshaft, a feed -roller shaftmounted in the other of said sleeves, gears connecting said shafts, afeed-roller on said shaft, said frame having a spherical bearingportion, a yoke having a bearing mounted on said spherical bearing, saidyoke having an opening, a plunger carried by the yoke means forspringpressing the plunger toward said opening, a pin entering saidopening and engaging said plunger, and means for shifting said pin forcontrolling said feed-roller.

7. In a roller-feed, the combination With a head, of a driving-shaftmounted therein, a feed-roller shaft carried thereby and disposedparallel to and oscillatory about the axis oi the driving-shaft, gearingconnecting said shafts, a plate carried by the head and oscillatoryabout an axis transverse to the driving-shaft, a pin carried by saidplate, a yoke connecting the roller-shaft With said pin, said yokehaving a ball-joint connection With one and a spring connection With theother of these.

8. In a device of the character specified,

the combination with a plate having a Wormgear upon its perimeter, aWorm in mesh therewith, a shaft carrying the Worm, said shaft having ashoulder uponit, a member having a socket ior receiving said Worm andshaft and screw-threaded upon its interior, a screw-bushing enteringtherein and engaging said shoulder, and an adjustable springbrakebearing upon said shaft.

9. In a roller-feed, the combination with a feed-roller, of' a shaftcarrying the same and oscillatory about an axis parallel With its axis,means for rotating the rollershaft, means for oscillating said shaft andcomprising a pin and means for oscillating the same about an axistransverse to the axis of oscillation of the roller-shaft, a yokeconnecting the roller-shaft With said pin, said yoke having a ball-jointconnection with one and a spring connection with the other of these.

WALTER M. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

R. G. BUYER, EDW. D. FEANTZ.

